BREATHING LIFE INTO A MANUAL - FLEXIBILITY AND CREATIVITY WITH MANUAL-BASED TREATMENTS

Manuals (a) provide an overall framework that outlines treatment and s ession goals, (b) supply strategies that aid the therapist in achievin g the goals, and (c) guide the therapist as he or she navigates each c hallenge that arises over the course of treatment. Following a brief d escription of our model of treatment, treatment strategies are describ ed and illustrated. Specifically, the discussion and illustrations foc us on somatic cues, relaxation, self-talk, the FEAR plan, exposure tas ks, and the closing video (commercial). The examples demonstrate how t o individualize treatment, and the discussion includes the perspective s of two visiting scholars and considers the merits of flexible and cr eative use of manual-based treatments. This article addresses the use of a manual as a guide for the treatment of children, particularly chi ldren with anxiety disorders.